Considered the most conservative cosmetic treatment, cosmetic tooth recontouring is a quick, painless procedure with immediate results. It can fix pointed, crooked or slightly sideways teeth and minor overlaps. Read on to learn more about the cosmetic tooth recontouring process and who makes a good candidate.
Who can benefit from recontouring?
If you have minor imperfections in your teeth, including small chips, recontouring is a good solution. It can also smooth out bulges or pits in the enamel of a tooth, adjust minor irregular tooth shapes and adjust the length of canine teeth, which are the pointy teeth on the side of your mouth. Recontouring can even improve the overall health of your teeth. Correcting minor overlaps and bite inconsistencies can help reduce tartar and plaque build-up, lowering your risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
Steps to recontouring
A consultation with your dentist with a full exam and X-rays will help determine if you are a good candidate for recontouring. Many things are taken into consideration, including the size and location of the tooth’s pulp, which is the center of the tooth that contains the nerves and blood vessels. If the enamel is too thin or the pulp is too close to the surface of the tooth, another procedure such as veneers may be necessary.
The next step is where the dentist will use a sanding disc or fine diamond tool to remove small amounts of enamel from the affected tooth. Once the recontouring is complete, the affected tooth is polished. Sometimes this procedure is done in combination with other procedures such as veneer placement or bonding to help you reach your aesthetic and functional goals with your smile.
Tooth recontouring doesn’t drastically change the appearance of a smile. It’s less expensive than other dental procedures and doesn’t require anesthesia as only the surface of the tooth enamel is removed. If you are interested in tooth recontouring but aren’t sure if you’re a candidate, call 501-843-9561 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Jirik.
